Afizere

The Afizere are an indigenous Plateau people found mainly around Jos East, Jos North and parts of Jos South in Plateau State. They are often historically referred to as Jarawa, though Afizere is the preferred ethnic name.

Afizere settlement history is closely tied to the Jos Plateau, where hill settlements and farming communities developed long before the expansion of colonial mining and urban Jos. As Jos grew, Afizere communities became part of a wider multi-ethnic urban and rural landscape.

Afizere society is organised around clans, village communities, elders and recognised traditional authorities. Extended families, age groups and community associations remain important in social life.

Traditional Afizere religion included belief in a supreme being, ancestral spirits and ritual relationships with land and hills. Christianity is now widespread, while cultural festivals and customary rites continue to preserve older identity markers.

Afizere cultural expression includes dance, drums, harvest-related celebrations and displays of traditional dress. Community festivals help maintain Afizere language and identity within the diverse Jos Plateau area.